Carrier rack for bottles



CARRIER RACK FOR BOTTLES Filed Jan. 21, 1949 29 INVENTOR.

V U BY 7? Z enz'c/r,

\ I j @W T a firro/e/vEx Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENTOFFKCE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for supporting a number of bottles inupright position, both when manually transporting the rack with thebottles suspended therefrom and also while the bottles are resting on asupport in upright position.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a simple andinexpensive bottle carrier on which a number of bottles may quickly andconveniently be placed in correct position for transportation.

It is a further object to provide a bottle carrier which, when not inuse, may be collapsed or folded into a comparatively small flat packageconveniently shaped for storage within a very limited space.

These and other objects of the invention, together with the advantageousfeatures thereof, will be better understood from the following detaileddescription and reference is invited to the accompanying drawings inwhich preferred forms of the invention are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a carrier embodying the invention and showing anumber of bottles mounted in position thereon as in practice;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view on a larger scale indicatingapproximately the position taken by the carrier on the bottles While thelatter are resting on a support in upright position;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device of Fig. 2 showing the shape assumedby the carrier when manually held during transfer 'of bottles supportedthereon;

Fig. A shows the detached, completely folded carrier;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a somewhat modified form of carrier;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional end view taken substantially through thecenter of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken substantiallythrough the longitudinal center of Fig. 5.

Referring in the first instance to Fig. 1, it is noticed that thecarrier consists of three parts, namely rack members I and 2 which arepermanently held combined by a handle 3. All of these parts are madefrom somewhat resilient wire or rod material and it is important to notethat the rack members i and 2 may be and preferably are made exactlyalike but are arranged in reverse relation to each other. It is alsoimportant to note that the ends of the wire constituting the handle arebent to form loops 4 of a size firmly to support the rack members forrotative movement therein.

As above stated, the two rack members are exactly alike and they areproduced by forming the wire into a series of U-shaped loops 5 to ill,inclusive, which also are alike and extended in opposite directions. InFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawings a number of bottles A are, in dottedoutline, shown mounted on the rack in the position they will maintainwhile the bottles are resting on a support. When thereupon the handle ismanually gripped to raise the bottles from their support, it is noticedthat the rack members turn a short distance on their pivotal seatswithin the loops 4, substantially as indicated in Fig. 3, thereby tocause the two rows of bottles to move inwardly until they reach aposition of contact with each other, in which position they remain untilthey again are deposited on a support.

It was above stated that the racks and handles are made from somewhatresilient material and that the loops 6 to ill thereof are placedalternately in right and left relation to each other. It is to be notedalso that the connecting side members ll, !2 of the loops are shownsomewhat inwardly curved, thereby to provide slightly contractedpassages through which the necks of the bottles are pressed inassembling. For the sake of clearness of illustration, this contractionis shown greatly exaggerated and may in practice merely amount to a fewone-thousandths of an inch. The seats for the bottle necks within theloops should be large enough to provide some freedom of tilting movementof the bottle necks therein. When so proportioned, it is found that thebottles may be placed in position without appreciable manual effort andthat they will remain securely seated in the racks at all times. Itshould be clear now that the bottles, in the position of Fig. 1, arespaced apart transversely merelt in order to facilitate insertion andremoval and so as to seat the bottles securely within the loops.

When it is required to remove a bottle from the rack, whether while inelevated position or when resting on a support, it is merely required totip the neck of the bottle inwardly until the upper portion thereofmoves beyond the contracted side surfaces H, l2 of the loops, whereuponthe bottle may be withdrawn therefrom. Each bottle is in the same mannerre-inserted therein, when desired.

As above stated, the carrier may, when not in use, be folded into a verycompact, flat package which is convenient to store and which 00- cupiesvery little space. This folded position is indicated in Fig. 4. It isimportant to note that the two rack members are swung on their pivotsuntil they come to rest one directly above the other, and that thehandle 3 assumes a position between the two rack members.

In a modified form, illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7,

only a single rack member I5 is employed. This member is shown made froma thin piece of sheet material rectangular in shape and made with aseries of identical perforations IS, the shape of each of whichcorresponds to the shape of the spaces within the oppositely directedloops of Fig. 1. It is important to note that the central portion ofeach perforation I6 is somewhat recessed substantially as indicated atIT in order to provide sufficient clearance for insertion and removal ofthe bottles from this type of carrier.

It is noticed that the longitudinal center portion of the member I5 isupwardly arched, on a circular curve having its center a distance belowthe member on the center line thereof substantially as indicated at ISin Fig. 6. This is done in order to check inward movement of the bottlenecks B both when the bottles are in vertical position on a support andwhen transported from place to place. The carrier member is on thelongitudinal center line thereof provided with perforations I9, 20 forreceiving the outwardly bent ends 2|, 22 of a wire handle 23. It isnoticed that at least one of the perforations I9, 20 is sufiicientlylongitudinally elongated to permit of insertion and removal of thehandle 23. In order to perform this inserting or removing operation, itis merely required to insert one of the handle ends through the shortopening 19 and then to grip the sides 24, 25 of the handle firmly enoughto draw the other'bent end thereof inward suificiently to bring this endinto registration with the elongated perforation 20. When the wire ofthe handle is made from sufficiently resilient material, this operationis not difficult and the handle will expand to remain firmly in positionwithin the rack member during the bottle supporting operation. When inaddition the portions 25, 26 of the member I5 between the perforationsl6 thereof, along the center line of the member, are raised to formrecesses 21, 28

of a size rotatably to encompass the bent ends 2|, 22 of the'handle, andwhen the perforations be noted that the handle is'free to drop throughthe perforations into the position indicated in dotted outline in Fig.6, when the bottles are" brought to rest on a support. When folded inthis manner, it is seen that the handle does not touch the top of thebottle necks, as might be the case when it is swung to one side on itspivot.

It is to be understood that the drawings are merely illustrative ofpreferred forms of the invention and that the construction may bemodified to suit bottles of various types and shapes. Also that theracks may be extended to accommodate a greater number of bottles, ifpreferred. It should be clear also that the member I5 may be made in twoparts hingedly interconnected along the center line thereof so as tofunction in the manner of the device of Fig. 1.

I claim:

1. A carrier for pairs of bottles having beads at the top of theirnecks, said carrier compris ing two identically shaped support membersmade from wires Whichare looped to provide series of transverselyaligned U-shaped grooves facing each other at the center of the carrier,and a wire handle the ends of which are bent to form loops encompassingthe wires of the contacting looped portions of the two members at thecenter of the carrier thereby to lock the members against relativelongitudinal displacement, the bottoms of the grooves forming seats forthe beads of each pair of bottles.

2. A carrier for pairs of bottles having beads at the top of theirnecks, said carrier comprising two identically shaped support membersmade from wires which are looped to provide series of transverselyaligned U-shaped grooves facing each other at the center of the carrier,and

, a wire handle the ends of which are bent to form loops encompassingthe wires of the contacting looped portions of the two members at thecenter of the carrier thereby to lock the members against relativelongitudinal displacement, the necks of each pair of bottles beinginsertable into aligned grooves from the center of the carrier to causethe beads thereof to seat on the bottoms of the grooves and the sides ofthe bottles to come in contact with each other, the weight of thebottles causing the members to swing downward when the handle is grippedto raise the carrier thereby to lock the bottles in position thereon.'

' RAYMOND G. ZENICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Turner June -7,

